Page 5 of Juke (DeLuca Brothers #4)

When I pulled up at Vault, it was already busy.

The night crowd was filing in while the ones from earlier were either wrapping things up or trying to win their money back.

Security nodded me through, and I went straight upstairs, where Buck’s office was located.

When I made it to his office, the door was cracked, so I knocked on the door before stepping in.

Buck was behind the desk. Stacks was leaned back on the couch that lined the wall, arms crossed, while Kilo was posted in a chair that sat in the corner.

“The champ is here,” Buck announced when I walked in the room.

“Nigga got jokes,” I chuckled.

“Sit yo’ tight-lipped ass down,” Stacks said, kicking a chair out with his foot. “We were just talking ’bout yo’ ass.”

“The fuck y’all talking ’bout me for?” A lot of people wouldn’t dare question these niggas, but they bled just like I did. If it came down to it, I’d shoot my way out this muthafucka.

“Calm yo’ hostile ass down,” Buck interjected. “Ya people found anything out yet?”

I leaned back in my seat and rubbed my hand down my face. “Yeah, that’s why I wanted to talk to y’all. Deion found something the other day. That nigga’s parole hearing got bumped up. It’s in the next couple of days.”

“You sure?” Stacks asked as he sat forward.

“I’m positive.” I nodded.

Kilo leaned forward now. “Does she know?”

“I told her last night.”

“So how’d she take it?” Stacks quizzed.

“She ain’t say much at first,” I said, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. “But I knew that shit was bothering her by the look on her face and the fear in her eyes.”

Buck frowned. “You think she even know what that nigga on? Like… what he’s capable of?”

“She knows something,” I said. “She might not have said it out loud, but she felt that shit. I saw it all over her face.”

“She ever tell you what he did?” Stacks asked.

“Nah,” I said. “I asked once, and all she said was he was a fucked up nigga.”

“So you just piecing shit together off of vibes?” Buck raised a brow.

“Shit, that’s all I got to go off of,” I shrugged. “But when I said his name, she damn near stopped breathing. You could see the fear in her eyes… like she just shut down. That’s a different kind of fear. You can’t fake that shit.”

All three of them sat quietly for a second, letting my words sink in.

“She moves like a woman that’s been through some shit,” I added. “I don’t know the story, but I know enough to take it seriously.”

“That’s all we need.” Kilo nodded.

We all sat in silence for a moment letting that shit sink in. I know they wanted their cousin safe, and as long as I was around, she would be. I don’t know why… I just knew that I was.

“Aye, how’s the gym holding up?” Kilo asked, shifting the conversation.

“Shit’s straight,” I said, grabbing my water. “Got a couple new heads, young and hungry. One of ’em fast, but he ain’t got no gah damn discipline. I keep correcting the shit, but since he thinks he knows more than me, I’m gone let his lil’ ass get knocked on his ass. Maybe he’ll listen then.”

“Sounds like Jet.” Stacks chuckled. “That lil’ muthafucka ran through the house last night butt-naked with Vaseline on his head.”

“A menace.” Kilo snorted.

“He ain’t even hit three yet,” Stacks added. “Kash done gave up tryna chase his bad ass. She just yells from wherever she’s at now and he stops, but that shit don’t even last long.”

Kilo leaned back. “I feel that. Between Mel and these damn kids, I’m lucky if I sleep past seven.”

“Don’t act like you’on love that shit,” Buck said. “Soft ass.”

“Ain’t shit soft ’bout me, nigga,” Kilo countered.

“Yeah, aight.” Stacks smirked.

“I’on even say shit no more. I let Mel run the show. I’m just there for moral support.”

“You just scared of her mean ass,” I added.

“I’ain scared of shit,” Kilo countered.

“Theo got you wrapped around his lil’ ass fingers already,” Buck said. “And Liberty be looking at you like you a bald-headed Jesus or some shit.”

“Nigga, did you just say a bald-headed Jesus?” Stacks laughed.

“You an ignorant ass nigga,” I co-signed.

When the laughter died down, Buck leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face. “Man… Goldie been getting on my gah damn nerves.”

Stacks raised a brow. “What you mean?”

“Her ass pregnant and she don’t want to admit the shit.

When I say some shit about it, she curses my black ass out and tell me to get the fuck from ’round her.

Then when I do, she comes to find me crying saying that I’on love her ass no more.

I’m two mood swings away from going to stay with Mama for a few days. ”

“You ain’t going nowhere.” I laughed. “She’ll kill yo’ ass if you leave.”

“I’ain leaving permanently. I’m just saying—if she throws something else at me, I’m packing a gah damn bag and getting the fuck on. I love her, but I’ain built for all that hormonal shit. If she is pregnant, she didn’t act like this with Benny’s bad ass.”

“Might be a girl,” Kilo chimed in.

Before he could respond, his phone started buzzing. He looked down and groaned.

“Speak of the fuckin’ devil…” He answered on speaker. “Wassup, baby?”

When Nic’s voice came through the speaker, you could tell she was fed up.

“I need you to come get Benny before I take his lil’ ass to the nearest fire station.

He climbed his ass onto the counter and would’ve jumped off had I not caught him before he did.

When I asked him what he was thinking, he said he believed he could fly.

We damn near cried laughing.

“The fuck?” Stacks wheezed.

Buck closed his eyes trying to stifle his laugh. “Why would he—never mind.”

“Don’t ask me no gah damn questions, Lincoln. He did it because he’s your son, now come get him before I put both y’all asses out!” Nic snapped. “And bring me a sandwich… with extra pickles . ” She hung up before he could even respond.

Buck slid his phone into his pocket. “Y’all see what the fuck I’m saying?”

“You got it,” Stacks said through a laugh. “She’s ’bout to hand you Benny and go hide from y’all asses.”

We cracked up again, the kind of laugh that came from deep within.

My phone buzzed just as the laughter settled, and it was Deion. I stepped out of the office to answer.

“Wassup?”

“We got a problem,” he said.

My jaw flexed. “Where.”

“Manley.”

“Fuck… you still there?”

“Yeah.”

“Aight. I’m on the way.” I hung up and stepped back into the room. “Aye, I gotta dip.”

Kilo looked up. “You straight?”

“Deion just called. One of my houses got hit.”

Stacks sat forward. “Which one?”

“Manley.”

Buck’s expression dropped. “The fuck? You need us to roll with you?”

“Nigga, you need to roll yo’ ass home ’fore Nic beats yo’ ass. I’ll keep y’all updated.” I slapped hands with them, then left.

By the time I got to Manley, shit had already cleared out. Deion stood by his car… waiting. He nodded once and motioned toward the back entrance. The door was cracked like it got kicked in.

“Whoever did this shit didn’t waste no time,” he said. “Ran straight through this muthafucka.”

I didn’t respond. Just walked past him and stepped inside. The further I got, I saw one of my soldiers, Lil Chris, slumped on the floor with a headshot. No signs of a struggle. That let me know he was caught off guard.

Deion followed in behind me. “They took everything.”

I crouched by Chris’s body. He ain’t even see it coming.

“This wasn’t random,” I uttered.

“Nah. Somebody wanted to send a message.” Deion nodded.

I stood up slow, jaw grinding.

“Who?” he asked. “You think it was—”

“Boom.”

“So what’s the move?”

I turned to him, face void of emotion. “We let him think he got the advantage.”

“You sure?”

“I’m positive.” I said, stepping in close.

Deion nodded once. “And after that?”

I looked him dead in the eye.

“I’ma beat his ass in that ring… then I’m putting that nigga in the ground.”

Deion exhaled slow. “Bet.”

We didn’t need to say nothing else… everything was already said. Now it was time for action.